MI Supreme Court Orders Referendum Onto November Ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered the referendum on the state’s emergency manager law onto the November ballot.

A divided court ruled the ballot campaign’s petitions met the letter of the law, that the type on a critical portion of the petition was, in fact, 14 points. That’s what the law requires. The Supreme Court decision requires a state elections board to put the challenge to the emergency manager law on the November ballot. At that point, the emergency manager law is suspended, but what happens next is not certain.

Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette say the old emergency manager law is resurrected -- the seven emergency managers currently serving will continue, but with diminished authority. The referendum drive says otherwise – that there is no emergency manager law, and the emergency managers are out of a job.

It could take another court fight – or extraordinary action by the Legislature to settle the question.